Quote from the Noaa link.
"Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. They are used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays, blowing agents for foams and packing materials, as solvents, and as refrigerants. CFCs are classified as halocarbons"
Here's more.
"Because of the CFC safety record for nontoxicity, Freon became the preferred coolant in large air-conditioning systems. Public health codes in many American cities were revised to designate Freon as the only coolant that could be used in public buildings. After World War II, CFCs were used as propellants for bug sprays, paints, hair conditioners, and other health care products. During the late 1950s and early 1960s the CFCs made possible an inexpensive solution to the desire for air conditioning in many automobiles, homes, and office buildings. Later, the growth in CFC use took off worldwide with peak, annual sales of about a billion dollars (U.S.) and more than one million metric tons of CFCs produced."
This chapps my hide. Let's let the undeveloped countries, like Mexico for example use the "dangerous" gases... LOL (Dangerous only to ozone, and then only in theory IMHO.)
"This resulted in the Copenhagen Amendment that further limited production and was approved later in 1992. The manufacture of these chemicals ended for the most part on January 1, 1996. The only exceptions approved were for production within developing countries "
Here's something to chew on as well. (Gone by 2050 is the estimate.)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12888244/
Personally, I think that much has been made of this, and the reason you don't hear much anymore about it is they (The scientists) realized that depleted ozone was not as horrible as everyone thought it was going to be. (And they are not sure exactly what's going on with this ozone deal too. Obviously it's not just man's involvement that has caused the changes, but there are some that would like for you to think that everything man does is harmful to the planet in some way.)
Let's look a few beliefs that were set to rest here.
Freon is not flamable. (The oil used to keep the compressor lubricated and to chase the freon around the system is however.)
Freon is not toxic, or a poison.
Freon will not freeze your eyeballs out. (Sure, if you pour freon over your body, it will get frost bite/burn from that contact, but not just your eyeballs...)
There were refrigerants like Amonia used in the past that were hydrophillic, meaning they love water, so any aquous membranes in your body will become saturated with it if you have any contact with the substance. (Eyes, lips, nose and other mucous membranes in your body.. so I can see the "freeze your eyes out" statement on that one.) But amonia based refrigerants are generally only used in large cold storage's, and not general consumer type units. (I know, I used to work near one, and they have orange wind socks all over the place, if there is a leak, everyone is told to check the windsock, and run into the wind, away from any blowing amonia gas that will kill you if you run through a cloud of it, and I suppose, it would "Freeze your eyeballs out.")
Here is one more thing to consider when your talking man made gases in the total of the atmosphere. Imagine you just pissed in the ocean when your surfing. You just polluted the water! But it's not dangerous to you, or the other animals in the sea because the ocean is so huge it diffuses your waste pretty quickly. (Same thing when the whales take a shit etc.) Now, put your AC system into a even larger ocean of air... I just really don't think man has that much to do with much of anything, especially Ozone concentrations, C02 or other stuff that so many people worry about.
